Pros and Cons of Video Games and How They Affect Children and Teens

Does it seem dull and boring waiting for time to pass by? Even though some have better plans to do, there are some that do not have the same plans to do. For the time to pass by, the other thing they can do is relax at home and enjoy their video games. Although, there are others that say otherwise. There are some people that can argue that video games are bad for a person due to in-game violence. Also, some parents say that it causes behavior problems for their kids. For others, that is not the same case. While some do not agree with the idea, video games do not cause behavior problems and can bring a calm nature, increase their own awareness, and can bring friends closer together.

First, playing video games provides benefits for teens and younger kids. It brings a calm nature for them to fully diverge into the world of gamers. Also, it provides another way to relieve themselves of any stress when they come home from a long day of school and work. It is enjoyable during their spare time if they want to stay in and have their own entertainment at home. Another thing that video games do is they can enable people to challenge their friends in a friendly match. “Playing a co- operative game together also has been shown to increase prosocial behavior.” (Greitemeyer) They are able accomplish many goals needed to progress through the game. It engages everyone to focus on the main objective.

On the other hand, those benefits can quickly turn against them. People will start to take advantage of what will be available and buy any new content. When the new content arrives, soon all their money will soon be spent. Without any money, they soon begin to try and get money from parents, friends, or close relatives. Not to mention, it will not always be calm when it comes to going against other players. When going against other players online, there is bound to be people swearing out loud. Most of the people they meet would yell out threats and get angry for no reason. However, the only way reason they get angry is because some cannot understand losing and will end up breaking their console or their controllers. People win and lose from time to time, but most gamers learn how to be better from that moment. According to forbes.com, “Video game violent is different from real violence so most of the gamers would not know how to actually act in that situation” (Kain). That means all the violence they see in games are not the same as violence in real life which means they do not experience the same response towards conflict.

Another reason why video games are good is because they can improve a person’s awareness. Some might not know but video games can key into a person’s subconscious reflexes. By doing so, it improves a person’s memory enabling them to learn new things quicker. Studies show that there is an increase of grey matter which is a major component of the central nervous system. Only a short amount of time their video games can bring better improvement to a person. “Some researchers have taken note of this criticism in recent years and begun exploring alternative hypotheses for the differences found, such as that the violent games chosen were also harder to master and that many people had aggressive thoughts simply because they lost.” (Fishman) What this means is that some of the games are harder than they thought, which means that it would require more focus. That being said, their peripherals and hearing becomes enhanced in real life. It only takes a short amount of time if they plan out when to fit in the time for video games.

However, the more screen time they have, the more addicting it becomes. There are some people who feel that these games are more important than anything else. If they cannot focus on the important task at hand, they begin to fall behind in school and stop going to work. Not to mention, their behavior problems start to rise because of this. Some people view video games as an outlet for their emotions and will not try to solve this themselves. The negativity brought upon them will begin to build up and lead towards outbursts at home and at school. Parents should be more careful with seeing what their kids are doing in their spare time. Although, research dictates “in reality, most well-adjusted children and teenagers play violent video games, all without ever exhibiting violent behavior in real life.” (Markey) That proves that nothing bad can come from these games.

Another thing is that video games also include social interaction and activities. It brings another way for friends to go against each other whether they are in the same house or not. The idea is to bring friendly competition between friends and acquaintances. Accordingly, “The current study also extends previous research by showing how playing violent video games may affect subsequent decisions to cooperate or compete with other individuals in high-stakes situations.” (Sheese) That would indicate that these video games ultimately lead to teens being able to work together. Many close friends can benefit from this experience and greatly improve their likelihood of them staying close in the future.

Nonetheless, some friendships can end through their “friendly competitions”. Some will not handle losing and the other brags about winning to everyone they know. Such sportsmanship can break the friendship that they have. According to Game Analytics (EL-Nasir), individuals depends on the player’s progression of the game. Meaning, the cooperation between the players may vary based on their own skillset. People hardly show their face so there is no way of knowing who the person is, although, most gamers choose wisely when deciding who to cooperate with. People take the time to consider who to cooperate with and prove to be a worthy co-op partner.

In conclusion, the effects of violent video games do not lead towards behavior changes on teens and kids. The behavior effect does not change those who can be mature about the games they play and can be sure that they can handle it. Those individual mindsets are different depending on the difficulty of the game and the type of people they encounter online. It is only to be used as a way of self-entertainment. Nothing bad can happen if the gamers make the right decision. It is also a way to blow off some steam. It mainly resides on the choices that they make that can change what can happen to them in the future. Video games evolve and people learn to adapt to anything new.